After teen suicide, New Jersey community grapples with bullying
Mr Kuch said Adriana, his youngest child, was one of nine people in a blended family with his wife, Sarah. He and others said Adriana was a happy teenager who loved animals, spent time with a neighbour’s young triplets across the street and saved one of them from being killed. swimming pool.
Tips for parents to help their troubled teens
Are you worried about your teenager? If you’re worried that your teen is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, there are things you can do to help. Dr. Christine Moutier, Chief Medical Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suggests these steps:
“My daughter is strong,” he said. “She loved life. I can’t believe they broke it.
Most children who are bullied do not commit suicide. And experts say the factors that lead to suicide are complicated and often cannot be traced to a single cause.
But there is a strong correlation between bullying and suicidal thoughts as well as attempts, several studies have shown.
“Bullying is a violent act, and the person being bullied is a victim,” said Dr. Jeanne Craft, former president of the New Jersey chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Some children have the resilience to respond forcefully, and some need help. And if they don’t get help, it can have devastating consequences, including suicide.
A study published in 2022 found that teens who were cyberbullied were more than four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts and attempts than those who weren’t. When the researchers adjusted for other factors such as family conflict, racial discrimination, parental monitoring, and school support, the association between cyberbullying and suicidal behavior was not as strong, but still remained. significant.
“We need to help children process and share with others that they’re going through this experience,” said Michael A. Lindsey, dean of New York University’s Silver School of Social Work, which studies mental health. children and adolescents. “It can really make someone incredibly vulnerable to self-harm.”
According to new data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly three in five teenage girls experienced persistent sadness in 2021, double the rate for boys, and one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide. Rates of sadness were the highest reported in a decade.
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